Deputy Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Abhishek Kambli currently serves as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Deprtment of Justice. Prior to this, he was the Deputy Attorney General at the Kansas Attorney General’s Office where he leads the Special Litigation and Constitutional Issues Division. In that capacity he litigates the Kansas AG office’s most high impact cases, such as Kansas v. Biden (later renamed Alaska v. Department of Education) where he successfully argued for a preliminary injunction against the SAVE plan that would have provided $475 billion in student loan forgiveness. He was also lead counsel on Kansas v. Department of Education which enjoined the 2024 Title IX rule that expanded the definition “sex” to include gender identity under Title IX and Kansas v. Department of Labor, where he argued for and won a preliminary injunction on a Department of Labor rule that would have provided federal collective bargaining rights to H-2A workers. In addition, he was counsel of record on a 26-state amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in Beals v. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, where the Court ultimately allowed the Commonwealth of Virginia to remove noncitizens from its voter role prior to the 2024 election.
Before serving the state of Kansas, he was an assistant United States attorney prosecuting federal crimes within the Southern District of Indiana. He also served as a JAG officer in the United States Air Force where he still serves in the Reserves. He holds a juris doctorate from Notre Dame Law School.
Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance
Sheng Li is Litigation Counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Prior to joining NCLA, Sheng served as Counselor to the Administrator of Wage and Hour at the U.S. Department of Labor. In that role, he led numerous efforts to remove or simplify unduly burdensome regulations. He has also worked in the private sector as a litigation associate at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler and at Kirkland & Ellis.
Sheng is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Yale Law School, where he was managing editor of the Yale Journal of International Law. After graduating law school, Sheng served as law clerk to the Hon. Danny J. Boggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
Julie Marie Blake serves as senior counsel for regulatory litigation at Alliance Defending Freedom. Over the last decade, she has been on the front lines of high-profile, precedent-setting cases challenging federal overreach in courts across the country.
Blake served as deputy solicitor general for the state of Missouri from 2017 to 2020 and as assistant solicitor general for the state of West Virginia from 2013 to 2017. In these roles, she argued 26 federal and state appeals, including before the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She received the Best Brief Award from National Association of Attorneys General for her U.S. Supreme Court advocacy.
Before entering government service in 2013, Blake was a litigation associate at Baker Botts L.L.P., where she served as volunteer amicus counsel in several ADF cases, including Town of Greece v. Galloway.
Following law school, she served as a law clerk for Judge Paul J. Kelly, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Notre Dame Law School in 2009. She received her B.A. in Politics and Theology & Religious Studies phi beta kappa from the Catholic University of America in 2006. She is a 2007 Blackstone Fellow.
Blake is admitted to practice in multiple states, the Supreme Court, and in many federal district and appellate courts.
Professor from Practice, Georgetown University Law Center
Director, The Conscience Project
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is Director of the Conscience Project.
Andrea got her start as a trial and appellate attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to leading the Conscience Project, she served as the legal advisor for the Catholic Association, filing amicus briefs with federal courts of appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court in key religious freedom and free speech cases.
Andrea appears frequently in the media to discuss religious freedom controversies and legal victories, and in 2021 she received First Place for Best Coverage — Religious Liberty Issues from the Catholic Media Association. Andrea is a legal analyst for EWTN News and a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register. Her writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Fox News, Newsweek, CNN en Español and other well-regarded publications. She has also joined Fox News, Newsmax and a variety of other shows to share expert commentary.
Andrea lived in Colombia for more than a decade. She has ten children and lives in the Washington, DC area.
Vice President, Practice Groups, The Federalist Society
Vice President and Executive Director, Napa Legal Institute
Mary Margaret serves as Napa Legal Institute's Vice President & Executive Director. She joined Napa Legal in 2019, serving most recently as the organization’s Senior Counsel. Before working at Napa Legal, Mary Margaret was an associate attorney with a Chicago-based law firm which specialized in nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations. While there, Mary Margaret helped clients with legal guidance on matters including corporate formation, governance, and tax and regulatory compliance. Prior to serving the nonprofit sector, Mary Margaret focused her career in finance. While in law school, she worked at the CME Group and Dimensional Fund Advisors on financial compliance matters, implementation of U.S. sanctions programs, and cyber-security risk management. She is particularly interested in the intersection of business and law and helping nonprofit organizations navigate the complexities involved in that area. Mary Margaret attended Texas A&M University on a National Merit Scholarship and received an undergraduate degree with honors in Finance and Business. Mary Margaret earned CALI awards for her work in Constitutional Lawand Administrative Law while studying at Chicago Kent Law School. Mary Margaret also studied Spanish law during a semester at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, and she received a certificate in Legal Spanish from American University Washington College of Law. She is an ADF Blackstone Fellow.
Counsel, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Amanda Salz is counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where her practice focuses on First Amendment litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. She is also a member of the Federalist Society’s Religious Liberties Executive Committee.
Before joining Becket, Amanda worked as an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. As a member of the firm’s appellate group, Amanda litigated many cases involving constitutional and administrative issues. In addition to her experience in private practice, Amanda clerked for the Honorable Andrew S. Oldham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Honorable Reed C. O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Vice President and Executive Director, Napa Legal Institute
Mary Margaret serves as Napa Legal Institute's Vice President & Executive Director. She joined Napa Legal in 2019, serving most recently as the organization’s Senior Counsel. Before working at Napa Legal, Mary Margaret was an associate attorney with a Chicago-based law firm which specialized in nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations. While there, Mary Margaret helped clients with legal guidance on matters including corporate formation, governance, and tax and regulatory compliance. Prior to serving the nonprofit sector, Mary Margaret focused her career in finance. While in law school, she worked at the CME Group and Dimensional Fund Advisors on financial compliance matters, implementation of U.S. sanctions programs, and cyber-security risk management. She is particularly interested in the intersection of business and law and helping nonprofit organizations navigate the complexities involved in that area. Mary Margaret attended Texas A&M University on a National Merit Scholarship and received an undergraduate degree with honors in Finance and Business. Mary Margaret earned CALI awards for her work in Constitutional Lawand Administrative Law while studying at Chicago Kent Law School. Mary Margaret also studied Spanish law during a semester at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, and she received a certificate in Legal Spanish from American University Washington College of Law. She is an ADF Blackstone Fellow.
Counsel, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Amanda Salz is counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where her practice focuses on First Amendment litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. She is also a member of the Federalist Society’s Religious Liberties Executive Committee.
Before joining Becket, Amanda worked as an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. As a member of the firm’s appellate group, Amanda litigated many cases involving constitutional and administrative issues. In addition to her experience in private practice, Amanda clerked for the Honorable Andrew S. Oldham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Honorable Reed C. O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Deputy Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Abhishek Kambli currently serves as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Deprtment of Justice. Prior to this, he was the Deputy Attorney General at the Kansas Attorney General’s Office where he leads the Special Litigation and Constitutional Issues Division. In that capacity he litigates the Kansas AG office’s most high impact cases, such as Kansas v. Biden (later renamed Alaska v. Department of Education) where he successfully argued for a preliminary injunction against the SAVE plan that would have provided $475 billion in student loan forgiveness. He was also lead counsel on Kansas v. Department of Education which enjoined the 2024 Title IX rule that expanded the definition “sex” to include gender identity under Title IX and Kansas v. Department of Labor, where he argued for and won a preliminary injunction on a Department of Labor rule that would have provided federal collective bargaining rights to H-2A workers. In addition, he was counsel of record on a 26-state amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in Beals v. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, where the Court ultimately allowed the Commonwealth of Virginia to remove noncitizens from its voter role prior to the 2024 election.
Before serving the state of Kansas, he was an assistant United States attorney prosecuting federal crimes within the Southern District of Indiana. He also served as a JAG officer in the United States Air Force where he still serves in the Reserves. He holds a juris doctorate from Notre Dame Law School.
Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance
Sheng Li is Litigation Counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Prior to joining NCLA, Sheng served as Counselor to the Administrator of Wage and Hour at the U.S. Department of Labor. In that role, he led numerous efforts to remove or simplify unduly burdensome regulations. He has also worked in the private sector as a litigation associate at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler and at Kirkland & Ellis.
Sheng is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Yale Law School, where he was managing editor of the Yale Journal of International Law. After graduating law school, Sheng served as law clerk to the Hon. Danny J. Boggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Co-Founder, Defense of Freedom Institute
Jim Blew is a co-founder of DFI, the Defense of Freedom Institute for Public Policy Studies, and president of DFI Action. These DC-based nonprofits promote education freedom, civil rights, and a limited federal role in education and workforce development.
Jim served as U.S. assistant secretary for policy and budget under Betsy DeVos. Prior to his federal service, he worked in state-based education reform for more than 20 years, including leadership roles at StudentsFirst, 50CAN, and the predecessor to the American Federation for Children. He also helped guide the education reform investments of the Walton Family Foundation for nearly a decade until 2014. Before committing himself full time to education reform, Jim worked at political and communications firms in New York and California. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and a master’s in business administration from the Yale School of Management.
Senior Director, Government Relations, American Council on Education
Emmanual A. Guillory is an advocate, policy expert, and motivational speaker who currently serves as the senior director of government relations at the American Council on Education (ACE). In this role, he manages an extensive portfolio of legislative and regulatory issues as a primary government relations resource for the broader higher education community to the United States Congress, the White House, the United States Department of Education, and other agencies as warranted. His portfolio includes a primary emphasis on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), especially Title IV programs, and the budget and appropriations process. Other issues within his portfolio include accreditation, college costs, student aid, institutional accountability, institutional aid in Titles III and V of the HEA, oversight, privacy, technology, accessibility, and disability, among others.
Previously, Guillory served as the director of student and institutional aid policy at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, leading the private, nonprofit sector of higher education on policies such as student financial aid, institutional aid programs in Titles III and V of the HEA, and certain regulatory issues. Guillory also served as the director for public policy and government affairs at UNCF (United Negro College Fund, Inc.) for two years. He worked for a decade in the House of Representatives, most recently as a professional staff member on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He was recognized as one of The Hill’s top lobbyists in Washington, DC in both 2020 and 2021 and as a top executive by Marquis Who’s Who. Guillory was a federal negotiator for the Department of Education in 2019 and 2022 and a former president of the Committee for Education Funding—the largest educational coalition in our country—in 2022. He has his own nonprofit organization through which he awards scholarships to students, and he serves as a lecturer with the Archer Fellowship Program in The University of Texas System.
Guillory earned his bachelor of science in psychology from Texas A&M University, and he also serves on its leadership council through The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University. He obtained his master of arts in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University (BGSU). He serves on BGSU’s Alumni Board of Directors and on the leadership council in its College of Education and Human Development. He is currently pursuing his doctorate of education in higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania.
Former principal deputy under secretary, U.S. Department of Education
Diane Auer Jones recently retired from a thirty-year career as an educator, scientist, administrator, and public policy official. Although she began her career as a nursing assistant, upon completion of undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology and applied molecular biology, she worked as a molecular biology research and later as the founding director of an EPA-certified analytical chemistry laboratory. Through an adjunct faculty position at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), she realized that working with students was her true passion and she joined the full-time faculty at CCBC. Over the course of her career, her work in higher education also included leadership positions at Princeton University, The Washington Campus and Career Education Corporation. Despite her passion for teaching, after serving as a program director at the National Science Foundation, Diane’s career focus shifted to science and education policy. She subsequently served as a professional staffer and acting staff director for the Research Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology and as the deputy to the associate director for science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She was nominated by President George W. Bush, and confirmed by the Senate, to serve as the assistant secretary for post-secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education. She returned to the U.S. Department of Education to conclude her career, serving as the principal deputy undersecretary delegated the duties of undersecretary during the Donald J. Trump administration.
Director and Senior Fellow, Education & Workforce, Stand Together Trust
Dr. Steven Taylor is director and senior fellow, education & workforce at Stand Together Trust, a philanthropy that supports policy education to empower individuals to improve their lives and society through lifelong learning and purposeful work. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, workforce training, and organizational development, Taylor educates policymakers on responsible approaches to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship and expand access to myriad education and work pathways. He also founded and leads ED2WORK®, a consulting organization that helps various stakeholders address the needs of adult and working learners. He leverages his expertise in teaching and learning transformation, alternative credit and credentials, and quality assurance to create and scale effective and sustainable solutions. He is a skilled facilitator and strategist, having worked alongside higher education, nonprofit, and workforce leaders, led three major postsecondary education practice and research grants, and built issue-focused coalitions with social entrepreneurs, employers, policy groups, and advocacy groups. Taylor was appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in July 2024 to serve a four-year term on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. As a first-generation college student and Pell Grant recipient, he is passionate about expanding educational opportunities for underserved learners and improving the value and relevance of education and credentials. Taylor earned his bachelor’s and master’s at Texas A&M University, Commerce and a doctorate in business from Wilmington University.
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
Julie Marie Blake serves as senior counsel for regulatory litigation at Alliance Defending Freedom. Over the last decade, she has been on the front lines of high-profile, precedent-setting cases challenging federal overreach in courts across the country.
Blake served as deputy solicitor general for the state of Missouri from 2017 to 2020 and as assistant solicitor general for the state of West Virginia from 2013 to 2017. In these roles, she argued 26 federal and state appeals, including before the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She received the Best Brief Award from National Association of Attorneys General for her U.S. Supreme Court advocacy.
Before entering government service in 2013, Blake was a litigation associate at Baker Botts L.L.P., where she served as volunteer amicus counsel in several ADF cases, including Town of Greece v. Galloway.
Following law school, she served as a law clerk for Judge Paul J. Kelly, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Notre Dame Law School in 2009. She received her B.A. in Politics and Theology & Religious Studies phi beta kappa from the Catholic University of America in 2006. She is a 2007 Blackstone Fellow.
Blake is admitted to practice in multiple states, the Supreme Court, and in many federal district and appellate courts.
Professor from Practice, Georgetown University Law Center
Director, The Conscience Project
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is Director of the Conscience Project.
Andrea got her start as a trial and appellate attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to leading the Conscience Project, she served as the legal advisor for the Catholic Association, filing amicus briefs with federal courts of appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court in key religious freedom and free speech cases.
Andrea appears frequently in the media to discuss religious freedom controversies and legal victories, and in 2021 she received First Place for Best Coverage — Religious Liberty Issues from the Catholic Media Association. Andrea is a legal analyst for EWTN News and a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register. Her writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Fox News, Newsweek, CNN en Español and other well-regarded publications. She has also joined Fox News, Newsmax and a variety of other shows to share expert commentary.
Andrea lived in Colombia for more than a decade. She has ten children and lives in the Washington, DC area.
Vice President, Practice Groups, The Federalist Society
Vice President and Executive Director, Napa Legal Institute
Mary Margaret serves as Napa Legal Institute's Vice President & Executive Director. She joined Napa Legal in 2019, serving most recently as the organization’s Senior Counsel. Before working at Napa Legal, Mary Margaret was an associate attorney with a Chicago-based law firm which specialized in nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations. While there, Mary Margaret helped clients with legal guidance on matters including corporate formation, governance, and tax and regulatory compliance. Prior to serving the nonprofit sector, Mary Margaret focused her career in finance. While in law school, she worked at the CME Group and Dimensional Fund Advisors on financial compliance matters, implementation of U.S. sanctions programs, and cyber-security risk management. She is particularly interested in the intersection of business and law and helping nonprofit organizations navigate the complexities involved in that area. Mary Margaret attended Texas A&M University on a National Merit Scholarship and received an undergraduate degree with honors in Finance and Business. Mary Margaret earned CALI awards for her work in Constitutional Lawand Administrative Law while studying at Chicago Kent Law School. Mary Margaret also studied Spanish law during a semester at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, and she received a certificate in Legal Spanish from American University Washington College of Law. She is an ADF Blackstone Fellow.
Counsel, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Amanda Salz is counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where her practice focuses on First Amendment litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. She is also a member of the Federalist Society’s Religious Liberties Executive Committee.
Before joining Becket, Amanda worked as an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. As a member of the firm’s appellate group, Amanda litigated many cases involving constitutional and administrative issues. In addition to her experience in private practice, Amanda clerked for the Honorable Andrew S. Oldham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Honorable Reed C. O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Litigation Update: Challenges to the SAVE Plan
Abhishek Kambli, Sheng Li
Since its earliest days, the Biden Administration has been clear as to its goal of...
Litigation Update: Challenges to the SAVE Plan
Topics
The Duty to Address “Sex-based Harassment”: Part II in a Series on the Biden Administration’s Final Title IX Rule
On April 29, 2024, the Department of Education published a 423-page final rule in the...
FAFSA and the Future of Higher Education
Topics
The Redefinition of Sex-based Discrimination: Part I in a Series on the Biden Administration’s Final Title IX Rule
On April 29, 2024, the Department of Education published a 423-page final rule in the...
Breakout Panel 1 - Testing the Tension: How Do Nondiscrimination Regulations Interact with Religious Freedom?
Julie Marie Blake, Martin S. Lederman, Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, Elizabeth Slattery
This session will discuss the Biden administration’s efforts to expand sex nondiscrimination protections to cover...
Breakout Panel 1 - Testing the Tension: How Do Nondiscrimination Regulations Interact with Religious Freedom?
EBRXII
Washington, DCLitigation Update: Chen et al v. Hillsdale College & Buettner-Hartsoe v. Baltimore Lutheran
Mary Margaret Bush, Amanda Salz
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 applies to educational institutions at all levels...
Litigation Update: Chen et al v. Hillsdale College & Buettner-Hartsoe v. Baltimore Lutheran
Mary Margaret Bush, Amanda Salz
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 applies to educational institutions at all levels...
Litigation Update: Chen et al v. Hillsdale College & Buettner-Hartsoe v. Baltimore Lutheran